Re: Plexiglass

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "David Speck by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dspeck-at-relex-dot-com>

Ben, 
The generic name of "Plexiglas" is PMMA - Polymethylmethacrylate.  You'll see
it listed as acrylic on eBay and in other suppliers like McMaster.  I'm not
sure that it has any particularly useful UV properties -- it get yellow after
long term UV exposure, as in outdoor use, and tends to cloud as well. 

A newer material is polycarbonate,  GE's Lexan is one example.  It is tougher,
and more UV resistant. 

I'm not sure if either material is especially good at absorbing UV, unless it
is especially formulated with UV absorbing chromophores. 

Actually, Plain old window glass absorbs most short wave UV, which is why you
can't get a suntan inside a glass window.  If you need UV absorption for a
spark gap, try a piece or two of smoked glass from the front door of an old,
large size microwave oven.  It's probably tempered glass, so don't expect to
cut it without shattering it, but it would be a good start for a window into a
RSG.  Just put some heavy plexi inside it, or use the metal screen from the
inside of the microwave door for impact protection in case something lets go. 
Can't beat the price. 

The following dealer has a lot of surplus material for direct sale at a
reasonable price, and is pleasant to work with.  He had smoked plexi at one
time, which might be useful if you don't have any spare MO doors around. 

 <http://www.machinist-materials-dot-com/Direct_sale/Direct-Sales-INDEX.htm>Mac
hinist materials direct sale listings 

HTH, 

Dave 

Tesla list wrote: 
>
> Original poster: "Ben McMillen by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
> <spoonman534-at-yahoo-dot-com> 
>
> Hi all, 
>   Can anyone tell me the 'off the shelf' name for Plexiglass? I need plexi 
> because of its UV absorbing characteristics and I can't find it on McMaster 
> Carr's website.. 
>
> Coiling in Pittsburgh 
> Ben McMillen